MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 161: "The Bespoke Collection (12B) - Marriott's 'seamless' Guest Experience (which always 'seems less' than promised)"

With so much self-congratulatory rhetoric being posted online by Marriott executives, it really is time for them to start looking within - at their own arrogance, lack of self-awareness and denial of reality (for starters!). They themselves may choose to believe what they spout but, as with politicians, most of us see through the hype and dishonesty, sooner or later

I recently came across the following series of Marriott Lamentations (dating from Christmas 2021) which highlight the strength of feeling within the Marriott 'customer' base. (Of the Marriott associates I have talked to, many would agree with the observations but not dare express such things themselves for fear of retaliation from their bosses.) Two years on, the Marriott modus operandi has enabled executives, investors and hotel owners to increase their wealth but for guests the levels of Marriott service have not improved, and in many cases got far worse

Enjoy!

MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 69: "Christmas Stocking Fillers"

The internet is awash with Marriott disaffection (which is spreading faster than Omicron). The following is a selection of readers' comments from randomly-chosen online blogs: 

* I grew up in DC, went to school in DC and worked in the family business. We dealt with the Marriotts all the time in the 60s [and] 70s... There is no way the 'old man' Willard would tolerate the condition and management of modern day Marriott... Clearly the current CEO is 'owned' by equity capital etc

* The Marriott 'brand' can apparently be purchased by any property owner who 'agrees' to meet their 'standards'. WE are not really Marriott’s customers, the property owner is, and apparently, Marriott [corporate] is becoming very reluctant to enforce [brand] standards with these customers

* Marriott is just a marketing fluff machine now with no standards

* It is sad to see how that through extremely incompetent and inept management that this once preeminent hotel chain is sinking into the cesspool of mediocre. And the new CEO simply doesn’t get it and should be removed by the Board

* It’s not just rogue hotels that are dragging Marriott down, it’s the message from management. If the Marriott team thinks the way to recruit and maintain consistent top-tier travelers is by watering down benefits and adding more Fairfields, they are sorely mistaken

* Capuano’s comments were the most honest I’ve heard from a hospitality CEO. His focus is clearly on shareholders and property owners. The company has grown so large that guest loyalty has become a trivial concern. That was widely predicted during the Starwood merger... I’ll slowly use up my Marriott points and focus future stays with Hyatt

* More Marriott promises made and promises not kept

* Implementation of Bonvoy will prove to be the straw that broke the camel’s back for Marriott in the long run

* I am Lifetime Platinum elite. The Marriott product is going down hill really fast

* Definitely a race to the bottom

* Im kinda embarrassed to be associated with Marriott

* While I appreciate that the CEO, Marriott as a whole, whatever, wants to chase the almighty dollar, at the same time they’re really shooting themselves in the foot

* Even before Covid Marriott was on the way out for me. Everytime I would stay in a Marriott I could hear the words: ”Welcome Mr So-And-So, how may we extort you further?” I’m done

* Marriott’s CEO says Amazon workers earn too much, that’s why it’s hard to staff properties. That’s complete nonsense. It’s difficult to staff properties because they aren’t paying enough

* The Marriott playbook of intentionally assigning guests to uncleaned and unsanitized rooms is the new normal for Marriott properties

* Marriott has gotten so big that it [has] ruined the hospitality business and lowered the industry’s standards. It’s on its way to failure and crash

Season's Greetings

[First published: 12/24/2021]

MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 70: "Talking Turkey"

With people clamouring for seconds, here are further examples of Marriott disaffection from online blogs, again focussing on brand standards, guest respect, Bonvoy beefs and staff payment

* Marriott is being brought to light... This new CEO fits right in to their ongoing bastardization of employees. And instead of taking responsibility for their inept pay, he wants to blame Amazon... I will never stay at another Marriott property

* I am a tiny shareholder of Marriott and feel sick about [this] attitude. Clearly doesn’t know how to attract and retain good staff

* Marriott [treats its workers] like peons. Welcome to late stage capitalism

* I won’t speak for all but some hotels have experienced very high gross operating profit from running very lean on labor

* Arrived in room with a not-flushed toilet avec poop and a shower stall with short curly hairs

* Pre pandemic, the lesson was that no one should trust Marriott. Pandemic and post pandemic, that lesson has been amplified

* It’s this race to the bottom... that finally broke my habits. I was loyal to SPG and then Marriott but the Capuano comments combined with the BS of Bonvoy pushed me over the edge

* With two consecutive CEOs that fervently espouse the same anti-customer mentality, Marriott is reaching awfully hard for the bottom. [This] shortsighted nitwittery gives me little hope for Bonvoy or Marriott

* There is a complete disconnect from what is happening at the property level and at the corporate/ownership level... By the way, if you think the solution is to take [a] complaint to the corporate office, good luck

* Customers are nothing but a nuisance and “loyalty” customers even more so

* I am so done with Marriot properties

* I appreciate the CEO’s frankness; a loyal guest like myself is no longer the priority, it’s the shareholders first then the hotel owners... Now that I know where I stand in his eyes, I’m taking my loyalty elsewhere

* I don’t know this new Marriott CEO but his actions are no longer about the customer. Shareholders, board members, the CEO [et al] should realize that the people that are voicing their disapproval are the very people that made [their] status possible

* My husband is a lifetime Titanium and we laugh at this on every stay. It means ZERO

* I’m so sick of these executives trying to sell these changes as good for their loyal customers

* I have accumulated a million points over the years. I’ll now use them for flights, not Marriott hotels

* There is nothing special about the Marriott anymore. I keep my commitment to this brand, expecting its loyalty in return. I’m not feeling the love

* People stay in Marriott properties in theory for their consistency. If they continue being inconsistent then their brand has no value

* Having worked in Marriott for 10 years, majority as a manager, I left during height of Covid-19 due to the amount of smoke and mirrors

[First published: 12/27/2021]

MARRIOTT LAMENTATIONS 71: "Post Christmas Gripes"

A final feast of Marriott customer / employee online gripes with which to welcome 2022:

* I’m one of the 850 Marriott Marquis workers in NYC. We were terminated... right at the beginning of the holidays. Most of us have decades with Marriott. They decided to outsource our jobs to a management company. They went with cheaper labor

* I manage a Marriott and the treatment from corporate these past 18 months was horrible... They are greedy, money hungry b......s

* The entire point of staying in a hotel for pleasure travel is having great service and amenities. Cutting services in hotels is shortsighted and will be a financial disaster in the long run

* If hotel owners are Marriott's customers and hotel guests are the product, what happens to the owners' interests when the product stops being loyal...?

* I'm Titanium and it is basically of no value. I used to love the Marriott Brand but not anymore. We could be watching the slow demise of a once valued brand

* I've been with Marriott a long time. My last couple of stays included the highest prices I've ever paid, no breakfast... workout room and spa closed... room not cleaned... Guess who's not coming back

* Capuano who thinks he wants to help his “owner customers” versus “paying customers” is out of touch [as to] who pays the bills. Short term is myopic thinking... Whoever is on the board supporting Capuano might like his thinking now [but]... it will hurt them [further] down the road

* The Marriott CEO is typical of an Ivy League elite type with an MBA who just doesn’t care. Unfortunately you [sir] are in the customer service business and will be out on your butt within 2 years.

* I’ve always felt Marriott is screwing me when I stay

* So when we’re told that as Marriott guests we should not expect pre COVID service, I likewise believe that Marriott and it’s owners should not expect pre COVID prices... How did this guy become CEO...? Horrible messaging

* If Marriott wants my business, they need to provide me a reason to stay at their properties

* Clearly the merger was anti-consumer and the company is proud of that

* This guy [CEO] doesn't seem to understand that it takes decades to build a brand and good reputation, seconds to tear it all down

* The Marriott brand has been going downhill since the Starwood merger, if not even before that. Quality, consistency, standards - all seem to be too much to bother with. While in the short term Capuano's approach may favor owners over guests, the long-term effect is that people will abandon Marriott as their brand of choice. 

* While honesty is a good thing so is a healthy self-awareness. [Capuano's] comments... are garbage... I don't see his tenure as CEO being a long one

* Marriott is no longer my preferred hospitality provider because they ceased to regard their guests as valuable contributors, we are commodities

Happy New Year

[First published: 12/30/2021]

FOOTNOTE: 

* The "Bespoke Collection" contains previously published short articles (some now edited) which, with clarity and brevity in mind, offer a snapshot of how the St Regis fraud was engineered and continues to be sustained alongside other related issues regarding Marriott, Minor, EY and hotel industry corruption 

The St Regis Bangkok conspiracy defines the amoral and perilous state of today's global brand-driven hotel industry, and how multinational hospitality corporations, bent on world domination, behave within a seemingly unregulated industry. Marriott, an industry bellwether, continues to hide behind the security of local corruption, expanding its global footprint with ease, maligning communities and individuals in the process

* The Marriott Board and senior executives continue to receive correspondence on a weekly basis but rigidly maintain their silence

John Shepherd (Marriott victim)